Improvement in treadles for machinery



F'. TREAT. Treadles for Machinery.

N0.l49,360, l Patented April7,l874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

FRANCIS TREAT, OF JOLIET, ILLIOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TREDLES FOR MACHINERY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,3G0, dated April 7, 1874; application filed September 13, 1873.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS TREAT, of the city of Joliet, in Will county, and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Treadle for Propelling lorn-Shellers, ot which the following is a specification:

The nature of my invention consists mainly in the use of a double treadle, applied to either or both ends of the main or crank shaft of cornshellers, by short cranks or ratchets and connecting rods or pitmen, as a means of propel ling the same.

In orderto enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to explain its construction and operation, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a corn-Sheller with the treadles attached, and Fig. 2 a plan view on the top of the corn-Sheller and treadles.

In the drawings, s s represent the body of a corn-Sheller, showing the main shaft o with the cranks a attached thereto at either end, and set at right angles with each other, so there can be no dead-points for the creation of an unequal motion, and always being in proper position for starting by the pressure of the foot on the treadles. To the cranks are'attaehed the connecting-rods e e, the lower ends of which are pivoted into the treadles c, as shown in Fig. l. The treadles c are hinged at one end to the lower portion of one of the ends of the corn-Sheller frame, and are connected at the other end by means of the cross or oscil; lating bar or treadle i, hinged to the lower sides thereof, as shown. The cranks are intended and so constructed and arranged that tliey may be placed in any position desired in relation with each other, either at right angles,

' as shown, or in opposition, if desired, when one treadle, with the advantages that they can be used from either side, or at the end, or all at once, and the advantage obtained is that one forms a guide for the other by their attachment, holding each other steadily in posi tion, and thereby preventing any side or os= cillatin g motion.

This device, or portions thereof, can be used, and will successfully operate any decently easy or light-running hand corn-Sheller by attachd ing one of the cranks, treadle, and connection to the end of the driving-shaft in the place ot' the hand-crank, and in lieu thereof, and operated by the foot instead of the hand.

The object and advantage obtained by this mode of propelling corn-shellers or other machines are that it furnishes a more easy and agreeable as well as a more simple muscular effort and action, and in which -the whole weight of the body can be used in a most natural, simple, and habitually practical manner, and without the tiresome and unpleasant effeet upon the body, arm, chest, and system generally which -is produced by the turning otl a crank for any length of time; secondly, a much higher rate of working speed is thereby obtained; and, thirdly, economy of labor or help, as by this Inode one person can run the sheller with his foot, and feed at the saine time with his hands, with as much rapidity and ease as two can upon a common crank-Sheller; but in case two individuals, as already stated, desire to operate together, standing on either side of the mill, each can use the treadle and feed, aiding and Aassisting each other without interference, and with the same proportion ot' economy, or nearly so, as before stated.

The greatest advantageA gained by this i11- vention is derived from the fact that the hand corn-Sheller is an implement of almost every day use for shelling in small quantities at one time, and yet they are so constructed as to be very inconvenient, it' not impossible, for one person to shell without help; and help is not always at hand and convenient, but generally the reverse, even when one has the second person at his command, and thus it results that, in a majority of eases, more time is consumed in waitin g for help than it will take to do the work when the final co-operation is obtained. The unpleasantness of turning, together with the last-named objection, has been of so serious a nature as to largely prevent the introduction and use of the hand corn-sheller. This invention covers at once these objections, giving Jche machine great superiority and ense in connecting-rods e c, and treades ce and i, oon- :Letion and convenience of use7 making one strueted to operate substantially' as and for the independent of others help in the Working' purposes is set forth. Jhereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters itnesses: Patent, is as follows: THOs. H. HU TCHINs7 The combination of the shaft o7 cranks a (ff, T. T. PROSSER.

FRANCIS TRE AT.` 

